#@##@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
#@##@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
####@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@####
###^**..¨¨ ¨¨..**^###
#@##@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
#@##@^*«.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
####@^*«.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.«*^@####
##@^^*.¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨.*^^@##
@#^^^«««.¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨.«««^^^#@
##@#@^*«.¨ **************************************** ¨.«*^@#@##
#@##@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
##@##@^*«. JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA .«*^@##@##
#@##@^*«.¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨.«*^@##@#
@###@^*«.¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨.«*^@###@
#@##@^*«.¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨.«*^@##@#
#@@****«.¨ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¨.«****@@#
#@@*««...¨ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¨...««*@@#
#@##@^*«.¨ WATER. ¨.«*^@##@#
#@##@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
#^^***.¨¨¨ ««««^^^^^^^^«««« ¨¨¨.***^^#
##@@@^*«.¨ ««^^ ^^«« ¨.«*^@@@##
@@##@^*«.¨ «««««^^ FAIRIES LIVE HERE. ^^««««« ¨.«*^@##@@
#@^^*«¨¨¨¨ ««^^ ^^«« ¨¨¨¨«*^^@#
#@^««««.¨¨ ««««^^^^^^^^«««« ¨¨.««««^@#
#@##@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
@#@^««..¨¨ THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, ¨¨..««^@#@
@@##@^*«.¨ URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH ¨.«*^@##@@
##^^^«.¨¨¨ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT ¨¨¨.«^^^##
@##@*.¨¨¨¨ TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT ¨¨¨¨.*@##@
##^*«¨¨¨¨¨ THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE ¨¨¨¨¨«*^##
#^^«....¨¨ WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS ¨¨....«^^#
#@*«..¨¨¨¨ THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE ¨¨¨¨..«*@#
@##@^««¨¨¨ SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO ¨¨¨««^@##@
#@##@^*«.¨ HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. ¨.«*^@##@#
##@##@^*«. .«*^@##@##
#^**««.¨¨¨ THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO ¨¨¨.««**^#
##@**.¨¨¨¨ PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE ¨¨¨¨.**@##
####@^*«.¨ ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY ¨.«*^@####
@@##@^*«.¨ DRINK SOON. AND THEY WILL TUG ON THE ¨.«*^@##@@
#@##@^*«.¨ SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ¨.«*^@##@#
####@^*«.¨ DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH ¨.«*^@####
@##^«..¨¨¨ DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE ¨¨¨..«^##@
#^««.¨¨¨¨¨ BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE ¨¨¨¨¨.««^#
####@^*«.¨ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS ¨.«*^@####
#@##@^*«.¨ THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS ¨.«*^@##@#
####@^*«.¨ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. ¨.«*^@####
##@#@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@#@##
#@*.¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¨¨¨¨¨¨.*@#
#@##@^*«.¨ CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO ¨.«*^@##@#
##@#@^*«.¨ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ¨.«*^@#@##
#@^«««««.¨ DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES ¨.«««««^@#
##^«...¨¨¨ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ¨¨¨...«^##
#@*««.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.««*@#
@#@*.¨¨¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨¨¨.*@#@
##^«...¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨...«^##
##@^^**«.¨ . . . . . . . . ¨.«**^^@##
##@##@*«.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.«*@##@##
#@##@^*«.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
#@@^*....¨ ¨....*^@@#
@##@@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@@##@
#@##@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@##@#
@###@^*«.¨ ¨.«*^@###@
@#@@*.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.*@@#@